From rainforest to table: Lacandon Maya women are critical to diversify landscapes and diets in Lacanja Chansayab, Mexico

Domestic activities, involving productive and reproductive spheres, are mainly performed by women, requiring a great amount of knowledge and skills that are poorly represented in the literature and often undervalued in the society. Women's role in the food system was investigated in Lacanja Chansayab, Mexico, a village inhabited by similar to 400 Lacandon Maya people. This research included participant observation for three months in the community and semi-structured interviews with 10 cis-women and 5 cis-men documenting their recipes, the relationships that are developed along their work in the food systems and actions for the restoration of traditional food. Women's roles in food systems are central; they have an intricate knowledge of their environment and have principal roles in producing, obtaining, and transforming biodiversity into diverse meals within the kitchenspace. But they do more than producing, collecting, and mixing of ingredients. Their role in the food systems creates different types of relationships; the kitchenspace is a source of empowerment, traditional food is crucial for maintaining biocultural memory, and for establishing relationships with other-than-human beings. However, serving traditional foods is also a potential source for discrimination against their families even from members of their own community It was recognized by participants that traditional food system is a medium for biocultural restoration in their community Dignifying women's work, views, techniques, and knowledge in traditional food systems is critical for food sovereignty, social justice, and biocultural restoration.

Automated summary

This study investigated the role of women in the food system in Lacanja Chansayab, Mexico. The research found that women play a central role in the kitchenspace, possessing intricate knowledge of their environment and playing key roles in the production, obtaining, and transformation of biodiversity. Traditional food is crucial for maintaining biocultural memory and establishing relationships with other-than-human beings. However, serving traditional foods can also lead to discrimination against their families, even from within their own community.